


The Bowman's Sister

by ApolloLoki97



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Claimers attack on Carl is WARNING, Daryl is a good bro, F/M, Gen, Mention of Past Assault, Reader Insert, Reunion, You are Daryls older sister, prison era, walking dead imagine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:35:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25410031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ApolloLoki97/pseuds/ApolloLoki97
Summary: You are Daryl and Merle’s sister. You had been with your fiance and daughter when the turn happened. After losing them, you made your way through the world trying to survive. When you come upon a prison and man in cowboy boots, your brother may be closer than you think.----Or you reunite with your younger brother, Daryl, at the prison and become close with his new family.
Relationships: Daryl Dixon & Sister!Reader, Daryl Dixon & reader, Rick Grimes/Reader, Rick Grimes/You
Comments: 1
Kudos: 58





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> (Y/N): your name
> 
> (Y/E/C): your eye color
> 
> (Y/N/N): your nickname
> 
> This is one of my favourite fics I've done.

The dark forest was quiet as you moved through the thick brush.

Blood stained your hands and was soaked into your hair, but you were still alive and the new cruel world hadn’t won yet. You didn’t know where you were, but as long as the bastards who had gone for you while you slept were long gone, then all was good.

At least for now.

The cold air was not friendly as it seeped into your bones and surrounded you. You had lost your warm jacket to a pack of Dead when they had grabbed at you, tearing through the warm material. You had managed to stick an arrow in two of them before taking off in a sprint, leaving your only source of warmth behind.

You couldn’t remember the last time you had more than a few hours of sleep at a time. When you were able to, you found a sturdy tree and strapped yourself down high up in the branches with a bungee cord, but even that had its faults. The Dead could still smell you and would circle the tree, causing more and more to converge on your hiding place. It wasn’t the most ideal situation, but it was all that you had and it was better than being beaten and raped by passing groups or having to relive the nightmares that lived in your head.

As long as you focused on surviving and kept distracted, your emotions wouldn’t overwhelm you and you may just survive the new world.

The sound of running water reached your ears and you nearly wept at the sound. You had run out of water yesterday and even if everything else was going to shit, the world let you have this. It was something. 

You picked your way through the woods, keeping an arrow notched on your bow just in case. You found the stream not much further down the path and wasted no time in kneeling down by the bank and gulping down a handful of cool running water. Boiling it be damned, you thought.

After you had drunk your fill, you pulled your bottle from your pack and filled it to the brim. You then dunked your head into the water, trying to scrub the blood that stuck to your hair. You weren’t even sure if it was your own, your assailants, or the Dead’s blood. You decided that you really didn’t care.

You were so wrapped up in trying to feel human again that you didn’t hear the person sneaking up on you until the hammer of the revolver was pulled back. Your hands went to your bow, but their voice made you pause. 

“Don’t even think about it,” a gruff voice said and the deepness of it made you shiver. It was never good when a man snuck up on you. “Hands where I can see them.” Slowly, not seeing another option, you raised your hands and turned to him, keeping your eyes lowered. His worn leather cowboy boots came into your view and as you lifted your (Y/E/C) eyes, he lifted the barrel of his revolver. 

The man before you was tall, his hair was curled around the nape of his neck, and a brush of stubble was across his cheeks. The look in his eyes was deadly and it made you swallow thickly. You had managed to evade strangers for a while now, the ones you had been running from had been a fluke. A couple of men traveling that had come across you. You figured they had given up on you and continued on their way hoping for a new victim.

However, this man could be worse and that was offering no comfort to you. Your eyes flicked between the gun and the boots, trying to gauge your chances of escaping without a hole in your head.

“Please,” you said quietly, “take whatever you want.” You then steeled yourself and pushed to standing slowly and faced down the man with the gun. “But if you try to lay a hand on me, I will kill you. Even if I have to come back and tear you apart with my teeth.” You let your threat settle between them and the man lowered his gun slightly, but didn’t drop it.

“Was that a threat?” He asked. 

“More like a promise,” you answered. You moved to grab your bow, but the revolver moved back into place instantly. “Asshole,” you bit out. He narrowed his eyes at you and took a step forward, but then a voice called out. 

“Rick, stop!” You started at the voice and hole opened up in your chest. It sounded like… No, you wouldn’t let yourself think about him again. Not after the many times you had thought you heard the voice of your brother.

A figure came through the trees, still cloaked in darkness and you took a step back, tripping on a root, sending you down to the forest floor. 

“Rick!” The voice said again and your heart thudded in your chest. It nearly stopped as the figure stepped into the light of the moon. “Oh my god.” You didn’t say anything as you beheld the man that stared down at you, his eyes wide. 

Tears immediately started falling and you didn’t care if the man with the gun was there. “Daryl…?” You choked out and then he fell to his knees next to you. “Daryl!” You cried as you looped your arms around your younger brother.

You had finally found him.

* * *

Daryl clutched his sister to him, nearly crushing you into his chest. He smoothed his calloused hands over your hair, breathing in the smell of you and feeling the vibrations that went through you as you cried. “(Y/N),” he sighed, holding you tighter.

* * *

You pulled back, your hands going to his face, brushing the hair from his cheeks. “I thought you were dead,” you said, looking into his eyes, the eyes of your mother. 

“Ya know it takes a lot more than an apocalypse to kill me,” he said in his low accent and hearing that deep Georgian accent was like coming home.

“Daryl,” the man, Rick, said. “Who is this?” Daryl looked back over his shoulder and his form went rigid. 

“Put the damn gun down, Rick. Point that thing someplace else, will ya?” Rick looked at Daryl for a moment before holstering his weapon. Daryl then gripped your arms and helped you up. “It’s okay, yer okay now,” he said in your ear. Keeping an arm around you, Daryl turned to Rick. 

“Rick, this (Y/N), my sister,” Daryl said and Rick’s face turned from concerned to surprised. 

Rick didn’t say anything as Daryl shouldered your pack and handed you back your weapon, smiling slightly at the sight of your mother’s old bow. 

“It was in the garage,” you told him, “figured nobody was comin’ for it.” 

“Glad you took it,” Daryl said, adjusting his crossbow on his arm. “You were always better with it than Merle.” That made you stop. 

“Is he…?” You trailed off, not willing to ask the question. 

“Merle’s dead,” Daryl said and something about his face told you not to push the issue, at least not yet. You could tell that he wanted to ask questions of his own, but he also wanted to get out of the woods. 

“Where are we goin’?” You asked, trying to keep up with the men who had much longer legs than you.

“We have a place,” Daryl said, “you’ll be safe there.”

“Daryl…” Rick said, his voice full of warning. 

“Just…wait, Rick. Alright? Let me get her some place warm and then we’ll start askin’ the questions.” 

“What questions?” You asked, through shivering teeth. 

“Don’t worry ‘bout it,” Daryl said, tugging you along further. A few more moments and a large chain link fence came into view. 

Along with a large group of the Dead.

Your footsteps faltered as you beheld the sight, reaching for your weapon. 

“S’alright,” Daryl said to you and then he took a flashlight from his belt and flashed it twice. A second later, a light from what looked like a tower, mimicked the movement. Suddenly, there were shouts.

“Hey! Over here!”

“Come on and get us!” 

“Hey!”

The shouts just kept coming and more voices joined in. Just how many people were here, you wondered. Daryl and Rick lead you towards a large metal gate. The Dead were too preoccupied by the new waves of noise that they managed to get onto the gravel road without incident. Still, Daryl kept his crossbow in front of him and Rick kept his hand on his gun.

You were between both men as they approached the gate. Then the large gate rattled open and a young boy in a sheriff’s hat ushered you inside, slamming the gate behind the three of you. As soon as the latch was secured, Daryl relaxed and then finally looked you over, taking in your face. The look in your eyes and the way you carried yourself was a lot like your older brother, but so much was strictly you and it nearly brought tears to his eyes. 

“Who’s this?” The kid in the hat asked. 

“Daryl’s sister, apparently,” Rick said as he stared between you and Daryl. 

“I’m Carl,” the kid said, waving awkwardly. You nodded to the kid, noticing the gun on his belt. 

“Let’s get inside before we freeze to death,” Daryl grumbled as he led you through the yard and toward a large building. As you looked around, it finally clicked as to what this place was. 

“You live in a prison?” You gasped. 

“It has fences and beds,” Rick said as he strode next to you . “We’ve made it home.” You nodded, taking in the sights around you, but you couldn’t shake the sounds of the Dead just down the small hill. You kept your eyes forward, tightening your grip on your brother.

The four of you stepped through another gate and headed for a large cell block. As soon as the metal door closed behind you, the sounds of the Dead were drowned out and you let out a breath. “Come on,” Daryl said, pulling you further into the building.

He took you into an area with a few tables and beyond that you saw a few people looking at you through a gate that you were sure was locked.

Carl went over and stood by the door, his hand on his gun. Daryl took your bow from you and set it gently on the table and then helped you with the quiver on your back, careful not to brush up against any of the fresh scrapes and bruises he could see on your bare shoulders. 

“Beth,” Daryl said to a young blonde girl, “can ya grab me a blanket?” She nodded without having to be asked twice and quickly returned with a wool blanket that you figured was from the prison inventory. Daryl quickly pulled it around your shoulders, rubbing your arms with his large hands. “Yer gonna be okay,” he whispered, taking a seat next to you and looping an arm around your shoulders.

“This is Daryl’s sister,” Rick announced to the others and you got a look at the others in their group. There was Beth and a woman next to her that was keeping a protective watch over the blonde. You figured that was Beth’s sister and an asian man who was holding hands with the woman. Then there was an older woman with short gray hair who stood next to a tall dark skinned woman who had a sword along her back. An older man with one leg sat at the table next to yours and then of course there was Rick and Carl. Judging by the way Rick was standing in front of the kid, you figured Carl was his son.

“I didn’t know you had a sister,” the woman with the short hair said, breaking the silence. 

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” Daryl grumbled as he took a piece of your hair and moved it from your face, trying to keep you warm. “She’s my older sister,” Daryl continued, “but younger than Merle.” 

“How’d you find us?” Rick asked, clearly not fully comfortable with your sudden appearance. You felt Daryl tighten his grip on you. You reached over and held onto his hand. 

“I wasn’t lookin’ for people,” you explained. “In fact, I wasn’t even headin’ this way. I was tryin’ to get more North, but I got turned around when I started running from them.” 

“The Walkers?” Rick asked and you looked at him in confusion. 

“The Dead,” Daryl clarified. 

“Oh, no,” you shook your head, “Yeah, I mean they’ve been around. Pretty big group of them not too far away a couple weeks ago, but no, I was runnin’ from people not…Walkers,” you said, trying out the word.

“People?” The woman next to Beth asked. 

“Couple of men who tried…” you trailed off and then shook away the fear that crept up your spine, “A couple of men tried to take me, they had rope and knives, but I managed to cause a distraction. Let out a couple of the Dead from a nearby van and they went for them so I could get away.” 

“I would have killed them,” Daryl growled from next to you. You looked at him and nodded slightly. 

“I know.” You then looked back to Rick, “I wasn’t planning to stay after I found the stream. If you hadn’t of found me and pointed a gun at me, I would have never known my little brother was here.” Daryl rested his head on your shoulder and you leaned into him. 

“(Y/N),” Rick began, “I need to ask you some questions.” 

“Rick,” Daryl warned. 

“Daryl, I know she’s family, but—”

“It’s fine,” you cut him off, “ask your questions.” Rick looked at you for a moment before nodding. 

“How many Walkers you killed?” He asked.

“I don’t know, I don’t keep count. More than two dozen at least?” You offered.

“How many people you kill?” Rick asked next and you felt your heart stutter. 

“Three,” you said. 

“Why?”

“Two because they tried to kill me and,” you paused, trying to find the courage to finish. You leaned away from your brother and leaned your elbows on your knees. “The third was because he asked me to.” 

“Who?” Carl asked, interjecting. Tears pooled in your eyes, but you wouldn’t hide them anymore. It was Daryl that spoke next. 

“Carter?” He asked quietly. You looked at him and nodded. “Her fiance,” he clarified for the others. You felt your hands shaking and you knew what his next question would be. “(Y/N), if Carter…if he’s dead,” he paused and the tears began dripping off your chin. “If he’s dead, where’s Hannah?”

Something broke inside you at her name. It wasn’t sadness anymore, it was just hollow. You looked at your brother with a frown, your face wet with tears of guilt. “No,” he whispered as his arm fell away from you, to cradle his own head. “No, no, no,” he said, the anger growing. 

“Daryl, I’m sorry,” you said, nearly pleading as you gripped his shoulders. “I took my eyes off of her for thirty seconds. Then the camp was overrun and neither of us could get to her in time. Carter…he saw it happen.” Daryl shook as he listened. He could barely speak so you looked to the confused faces of the prison group. “Hannah was my daughter,” you told them, “she died at the start of all this.” Daryl fell to the floor, leaning back on his hands as he took in the news. His niece, only six years old, was dead, taken by this new world.

“Maggie,” Rick said quietly as he watched his friend slowly fall apart, “can you get (Y/N) some dry clothes and help get her situated?” Maggie, the woman you thought to be Beth’s sister nodded and disappeared through the gate as Carl held it open. “Let’s just give them a moment, everyone,” Rick said and ushered everyone out as you held onto your heartbroken brother and let the grief wash over you both. 

Once Daryl had calmed down, you helped him up and he wrapped his arm around your waist and then pulled you in for a hug. 

Neither of you said anything as you held each other. You just breathed him in and relished in the feel of family once again.

“Come on,” he said, his voice low, “let’s get some sleep, we can talk more in the morning’.” He took you into the cell block and up the metal staircase and into a cell. Maggie had brought fresh clothes and an extra blanket for you. Daryl pulled the mattress off the top bunk and lay it down on the floor. He then pulled back the blankets of the bottom bunk and gestured for you to lay down. As soon as you settled onto the cot, he lay down on the mattress next to you on the floor, staring up at you. 

“I’m sorry,” you whispered. He shook his head, reaching for your hand. You let your hand fall over the edge of the bed and grab onto his. 

“Wasn’t yer fault,” he promised, “don’t you ever think it was, (Y/N). Never.” You nodded at his words. “Get some sleep.” You wanted to stay up, talk to him, but the overwhelming fatigue took you and soon, you fell into the darkness as you held onto Daryl’s hand. 

The only family you had left. 

* * *

When you woke up the next morning, you were alone in the cell. 

It took you a couple of minutes to wrap your head around everything that had happened. You had found Daryl, you were safe behind fences, you were alive. Those three things were all that mattered as you sat up in the bunk and rubbed the sleep from your tired eyes.

The clothes you were wearing were the ones you had been wearing as you ran through the woods the night before. Peeling off your stiff boots, you changed into the clothes Maggie had gotten for you. You and Maggie were roughly the same size so luckily everything fit well enough. Stuffing your feet back into your boots, you grabbed one of Daryl’s button ups and pulled it on, noticing the prison walls didn’t do much for warmth, but it was better than being in the woods or up in a tree. 

The sun was filtering in through the windows near the ceiling and you could hear the other prison residents starting their day.

“Good morning.” You jumped slightly at the sound and turned to see Maggie coming out of a cell at the end of the walkway. “We didn’t officially get to meet last night, I’m Maggie.” She offered you her hand and you took it, pushing up Daryl’s long sleeves.

“(Y/N),” you said, “thanks for clothes,” you said, gesturing to the jeans and tank top. 

“Not a problem at all,” she said with a grin and then gestured for you to follow her down stairs. “If you’re looking for Daryl, he’ll be back soon. Michonne found some Walkers down by E Block so she, Rick, Daryl, and my husband, Glenn, went to take care of them. Shouldn’t be long. My sister, Beth, said she saw them take a walkie so if they’re in trouble, we’ll know.”

“Michonne is the woman with the sword?” You asked, already feeling the anxiety rise as you thought about Daryl going after the Dead. 

“That’s right,” Maggie said, still cheerful. “She’s a hell of a fighter and from the way your brother fights, I’m assuming so are you.”

“I can shoot,” you said.

“Then it’s a good thing we have you now, (Y/N),” Maggie said with a grin. You and her made it down to the lower level. Carl was sitting with Beth as he cleaned his gun. Beth watched on in curiosity. You didn’t know how old Carl was, but it made you feel a bit sad to see the kid with a gun, but this was the way the world was and it was better than becoming a victim. 

Maggie sat across from her sister and patted the seat on her other side. You sat down, slowly, fiddling with your sleeves. Beth slid over a container of peaches. “I can never finish a whole can by myself,” she said, “too sweet.”

You looked down at the fruit in the syrup and your mouth watered. It had been weeks since you had anything besides squirrel and canned tomato soup. “Thank you,” you said with a small smile as you dug into the canned fruit. 

“So,” Beth continued, causing you to look up, “what was Daryl like as a kid?” 

“Beth,” Maggie warned.

“You can’t tell me you’re not curious,” Beth said and then looked back at you with patience. You swallowed another peach.

“Uh, he was like most kids, I guess. Looked out for me, even though I was older, played in the woods, was always runnin’ around being…Daryl,” you said with a light laugh that took you by surprise. It had been so long since you laughed. “He was a good kid and an even better man. I can tell he still is.” Beth smiled and Maggie mirrored her sister, Carl was listening, but not offering any of his own commentary. 

“You look like him,” Beth noticed. You laughed again. Maggie then reached out and touched your arm. You looked at her and saw the sorrow in her face. 

“I’m very sorry about what happened to your family, (Y/N),” Maggie said sincerely. “We’ve lost people, but I could never imagine what it would be like to lose a child. I’m so sorry.” A wave of…something washed through you and you lay your hand over hers.

“You’re actually the first person to say that to me,” you said after you realized it was the truth. “Thank you.” 

“We look out for family here,” Beth said, “and you’re Daryl’s family which means you’re ours now.” Your throat was too thick to speak so you just nodded.

Before anyone else could say something, commotion sparked behind you as two people walked in with grins on their faces. “Victory is mine!” The woman said, her grin lit up her face.

“You found some?” Beth asked, suddenly very excited. 

“Hell yeah,” the woman said as she dumped a duffel bag on the table and Maggie looked like she wanted to say something but before she could, the unknown woman unzipped the bag and showed the table what she had found. 

Cases of baby formula.

Your blood ran cold. 

“Sasha fought off four Walkers for that stash,” the man said, clapping Sasha on the shoulder. 

“Shut up, Tyreese, you helped,” Sasha said, shrugging off his hand. He smiled at her and then Tyreese noticed you. 

“Who’s this?” Sasha turned to look at you and then looked at Maggie. .

“This is (Y/N), Daryl’s sister, we found her last night,” Maggie explained, but you couldn’t focus on Sasha and Tyreese. All you could do was stare at the formula. 

They had a baby here.

“(Y/N),” Beth said, lightly touching your wrist. You looked at her finally. “This is Sasha and her brother, Tyreese.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Tyreese said kindly while Sasha just looked at you, much like how Rick had looked at you the night before. 

You tried to speak, but again the words were locked in your throat. Maggie noticed. “Sasha could you go put this with the others,” Maggie asked and then gave Sasha a look that had the other woman hauling the bag off the table and disappearing around the corner. 

“Who’s the formula for?” You asked, finding your words.

“My sister,” Carl said, “she’s still working her way up to solid food.” It was then that it clicked. Rick had a daughter. That was why he dispersed everyone so quickly when you and Daryl had your moment.

“Yeah, it can, uh, take some time,” you said roughly, trying to keep a pleasant look on your face. The only thing going through your mind was Hannah’s little hands wrapping around your fingers and the smell of her head after her baths or even the little noises she made when she slept on your chest. It was all coming back to you at once when you had worked hard not to think about your baby. 

“Are you okay, (Y/N)?” Maggie asked and you turned to her, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill. 

“Yeah, I’m okay,” you said, getting to your feet. “I’m just gonna go get some air. That okay?” You asked, still not sure if there were rules here.

“Yeah, the yard is safe, just don’t go into any of the far cell blocks,” Maggie said and you nodded. You left the cell block behind as you quickly made your way out into the open air. There were more people here than you expected and then you realized there must have been more people in Cell Block D. You avoided their gazes as you walked through the courtyard, shaking off all the memories that threatened to overtake you. Finding a picnic table, you sat on the top, resting your elbows on your knees as you looked out over the yard. 

You could see the Dead as they tried to break through the fences, but a group of four were walking along the chain link and stabbing the Dead through their decaying skulls. The sounds of their groans were nearly deafening even at a distance. It was a sound that would never leave you, even if it all stopped one day, that noise would follow you forever. 

You stayed there as the sun rose in the sky, leaving the morning behind as noon approached. You didn’t know how long you were out there until a hand came down on your shoulder. Daryl looked down at you with concern. “Hey,” he said softly.

“Hey.”

“Maggie said I’d find ya out here,” he said, taking a seat next to you, “she said ya left after Sasha brought home the formula.” You just nodded, keeping your eyes on the yard. “Probably should have warned you about the little one.” 

“It’s fine,” you told him. “You didn’t know about Hannah.”

“I’m sorry, (Y/N),” he whispered, “M’sorry we weren’t there to protect ya’ll. I figured because of Carter’s service record that he’d get ya out and then when we tried to get back into the city…”

“There was nothing left,” you finished, remembering the napalm that rained down from the sky. 

“Yeah,” he nodded.

“We got out, but it was so chaotic and when we got back to the house, the Dead were everywhere. I managed to get the bow and some clothes and food for Hannah, but then we had to run and we couldn’t get back.” You turned your eyes to him. “I didn’t know if you would make it or if you had Merle with ya. I tried looking for both of you when it happened, but I had Hannah and I…”

“Ya had to keep her safe,” Daryl said. 

“And I couldn’t even do that,” you said, wringing your hands. 

“You can’t blame yourself for what happened, (Y/N/N),” he said.

“Since when do you call me (Y/N/N)?” You asked. 

“Haven’t gotten the chance to in a bit,” he said and you nodded, understanding. 

“I’ll work on not feelin’ guilty for Hannah and Carter, if you stop feelin’ guilty too. Deal?” You offered your fist just as you had when you were kids. He nodded and then tapped your fist with his. Then, he reached over and tugged you closer to him, planting a kiss to the side of your head. 

“It’s really good to see ya, girl,” he whispered. You leaned into him before pulling back.

“You smell like rotting corpses,” you told him and he grimaced. 

“Had to take care of a few Walkers down in E,” Daryl said, “Imma go get a new shirt, you just try and relax for a bit. Yer safe here, (Y/N), don’t forget that.” You nodded and he squeezed your shoulder once before heading off to go get a clean shirt.

After Daryl left, you decided to walk the yard. Slipping through the gate, you meandered through the field, keeping a wide distance between you and the far fences. They had a well-groomed garden going as well as some pigs. It seemed that even amongst all the death and chaos, they were doing well. It was enough to lift a bit of the weight off your shoulders.

As you walked through the tall grass, you let your fingers brush against them and felt the warm sun on your neck. You sighed at the feeling, letting the peace swirl around you. 

“You know, Beth did the same thing when we first got this place under control.” You turned to see Rick approaching you and in his arms was a beautiful blonde little girl. You stayed where you were as he approached, your eyes on his daughter. 

“I can understand the draw,” you said.

“Not everyday you feel some sense of security,” Rick said as he stopped in front of you. “I figured you should meet the remaining member of our little family,” he said. “This is Judith.” Your heart swelled at her name. 

“Hello, Judith,” you said with a grin. “Aren’t you just the prettiest rose in the garden?” Judith looked over at you, her hands holding onto her daddy’s shirt. You looked up at Rick. “She’s beautiful.” 

“You wanna hold her?” He asked and you went to argue, but he was already moving her from his arms and holding her out to you. 

“Oh, okay,” you said as you took the baby and held her against you, feeling the familiar weight of a child in your arms. She reached up and took hold of your nose, her curious eyes roaming your face. “Hi, sweetheart,” you cooed. 

“She likes you,” Rick said and you smiled at him. “Look, I just wanted to apologize for last night.”

“For what?” You asked, your brows pulled together. 

“I shouldn’t have pointed the gun at you or pressed you with questions, especially after Daryl told us you were his sister.” You bounced Judith slightly as she played with a lock of your hair and turned to Rick again. 

“Don’t ever apologize for protecting your family, Rick,” you said sternly. “I would have come in handcuffs if it meant that you felt that your children and your people were safe. You can’t be too careful in this new world, so no apologies necessary. Isn’t that right, Judith?” you said, scrunching your nose at the baby. Rick looked at you and nodded his head.

“I see it now,” he said. 

“See what?”

“The Dixon in you,” he explained, “but it’s all Daryl, not Merle.” You snorted and looked up at him, your eyes shining in the sunlight. 

“You just haven’t seen the Merle side yet.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being reunited with your brother, Daryl, you try to adapt to the prison life by talking to Carl, going on a run, and getting to know some of your new fellow survivors.

That night you lay awake, your eyes on the ceiling.

You had convinced Daryl to retake his bed as you took the top bunk. He had offered to find you a cell of your own, but you had decided to stay with him as long as he would have you. You weren’t ready to sleep alone again.

Below you, you could hear your brother’s snores. He had crawled into his bed only an hour ago as he switched his watch shift with Sasha. Apparently, they needed more security due to a threat that was not exactly gone. Michonne had told you about the Governor and Woodbury. You had heard of the town in passing but never ventured there yourself. It seemed too good to be true and apparently it was.

You learned that one of their people, Andrea, had died there and then Daryl was the one to tell you that the Governor was the one to kill your big brother. However, it was Maggie who later told you that Daryl was the one to put him down the second time and that nearly broke you. You and Merle were supposed to be the older siblings, the ones that looked out for Daryl, and yet here was looking after the both of you.

Slipping your hand under your pillow, you pulled out the knife Daryl had given to you earlier that day. He also gave you new bullets for your gun. You kept your pistol with your bow and quiver down below, but the knife was never far from your reach. 

The problem was, you weren’t sure if you trusted these people. 

There was no denying that you loved your brother and that Rick seemed to be different than you first thought, but the welcoming demeanor was still a bit of a shell shock and it would take some time. Something about the prison reminded you of the old apartment building you used to live in when you and Carter first got together. Merle had said that it also reminded him of being on the inside. 

Thinking of Merle put a heaviness on your heart. You didn’t want all the gory details, but you needed to know what had happened. A part of you needed to go find the man that did this to you and your brother. You were gathering, however, that Merle was not exactly a welcome addition to the group when your brothers had met up with the rest of them in Atlanta.

You understood that. Merle Dixon was a tough asshole to get along with. He even bashed on Daryl when he got the chance, but he had always had a soft spot for you and you also knew he took the brunt of the beatings your father dished out. There wasn’t even a grave you could visit, but then again, Carter and Hannah didn’t have graves either. 

Carefully, so as to not wake Daryl, you slid off the bed and lightly landed on the stone floor. You froze, waiting for him to wake up, but he remained asleep, his arm thrown over his stomach as he slept off his long day. Grabbing your bow and quiver, you stepped out of your cell and into the main block. Snores echoed around you as you slowly made your way to the main door, needing to be out of the cramped building. 

As soon as the night air and the sounds of the Dead at the fence met your ears it was oddly comforting. Taking a deep breath, you moved through the courtyard, keeping your eyes on the Walkers. The word these people used for the Dead was slowly growing on you. 

You made your way through the first gate and over to one of the empty watchtowers. Sasha was in the tower to your left, but you ignored her obvious glances and climbed the stairs. As soon as you exited onto the platform, it was as if you could finally breathe. Of course, you were happy to be with Daryl and safe behind fences, but the cell had been near suffocating. Even with the Walkers and the Living out to get you, you had to admit that you felt better outside. 

Leaning next to the railing, you crossed one foot over the other and listened to the world. Your mind kept wandering to how the world used to be. It was the simple things you thought of: the sounds of kids after school as they played at parks or on their bikes; the ambient noise of a TV being left on in the background of the house; even the occasional roar of a plane in the sky above. 

The night was now clear and full of stars. Without all the light pollution, it was as if you were looking at a different sky. 

The sound of someone clearing their throat startled you. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sneak up on you.” You turned to see Carl exiting the tower behind you, his hat slightly askew. 

“It’s fine, I didn’t think anyone would be up here,” you said, relaxing again. 

“Yeah, we usually have at least two people on watch at a time.” 

“Because of the Governor?” you asked. Carl nodded, joining you at the railing. 

“Yeah,” he agreed, “and to make sure the fences hold.” You nodded, fiddling with a ribbon that was tied around your left wrist. When you noticed Carl staring at the movement, you tugged your sleeve back down. Carl was quiet for a moment before turning to you again. “Are you okay?” he asked. 

“Just not used to being…secure, I guess,” you admitted. 

“I get that,” Carl said. “This is the first place we’ve found that has been this safe. We were at a farm for a while, but it got overrun. We lost people there…and here.”

“I’m sorry,” you said and you were. It was never easy losing people, especially at his age. “Your mom?” you asked, noticing nobody had claimed themselves to be Judith’s mother. 

“She died when Judith was born. I had to put her down a second time.” Jesus, you said to yourself. You reached out carefully and squeezed his shoulder. 

“That’s rough,” you told him. “My mom died when I was around your age too.” 

“I know,” Carl said, “Daryl told me about the fire.” There was a touch of a smile on your face as you thought of that. Daryl telling the young boy of your mother to comfort him was nice to hear. It was a very Daryl thing to do.

“Hey,” you said, looking at him in the darkness, “you still have your dad and sister, right? And from what I can tell, the people here care about you. Don’t forget you still have family, okay?” Carl gave you a small smile of his own. 

“Why are you up here?” he asked. 

“Couldn’t sleep,” you said with a shrug. 

“Me neither” he admitted. You thought for a moment before pulling your quiver off your back and digging the glue and extra fletching from the small pocket on the side. 

“Well, do you wanna learn to fletch some arrows?” you offered. You waved one of your projectiles at him before a smile spread across his face.

“Definitely,” he said. You nodded to sit down next to you against the tower wall and together you got to work on fixing and fletching some more arrows for you. You would need to fashion some more bolts for Daryl as well. As Carl carefully worked next to you, you assisted in whatever he was having trouble with, but the kid caught on quick. 

As the night wore on, fatigue finally caught up, and slowly, you drifted off to sleep with the kid next to you, already passed out on his own. 

* * *

The next morning you were down by the fences.

You worked with Beth, killing the Walkers that pressed against the fence. Using the end of a sharpened broom, you easily sunk the wood into the decaying flesh and if you were being honest with yourself, it was oddly therapeutic.

You kept thinking back to the conversation you had had with the younger Grimes the night before. It was one of the nicest conversations you had had since the world had ended. Just two people watching the stars and listening to one another. You were hoping for that to happen again and maybe even with someone over the age of sixteen.

Beth was getting tired so you gestured back up to the cell block to grab something to eat. She agreed and the two of you started to head back. As you stepped into the thick grass of the field, a familiar sound echoed through the air. The Walkers groaned louder as the rumble of a motorcycle split the air. 

Merle’s motorcycle. 

A grin spread across your face as Daryl rode out towards the front gate. Rick was waiting for him with Glenn, both armed and ready to head out. “Beth, I’ll meet up with you in a bit, okay?” 

“Okay,” she said, touching your arm briefly before heading to find her sister. You approached the three men, your hands slipping into your pockets. 

“Going out?” you asked, stopping next to your brother. He nodded. 

“We need medicine and some more clothes for the little one,” Daryl explained, not looking at you. 

“Great, let me grab my stuff and I’ll come with,” you said, already knowing what he was going to say. 

“Yer stayin’ here,” he told you, his blue eyes locking with yours finally. 

“Why’s that? Ya’ll got a rule against women going on runs?” you asked, even though you knew Michonne had gone out just yesterday for a few hours on her horse. 

“Ya just got here, (Y/N),” Daryl said, “take some time to rest.” You looked at Rick and Glenn, gauging their faces. 

“We could use another set of eyes,” Glenn offered and you gestured to Glenn expectantly. 

“Daryl,” Rick said, gaining the other man’s attention. “We’ll keep an eye on her. Besides, you were the one who told me she was a good shot.” You raised a brow at that. Daryl chewed on the inside of his cheek for second before nodding. 

“Fine,” he conceded, “grab yer bow.” 

* * *

You clutched at Daryl’s waist as he roared down the road. 

It had been a while since you had been on a bike, this one in particular. The feel of the bike was familiar and it made you smile as you leaned your head on Daryl’s shoulder, watching the forest pass by in a green blur. Rick and Glenn followed in a car as Daryl led them towards a strip mall not too far from the prison. You would be back before dark. 

You passed Walkers on the road, some barely able to move as they were missing limbs and baking in the Georgia sun. You kept your head ducked behind Daryl’s back to block the wind as he sped through the dilapidated roads, careful to dodge any debris on the road ahead.

Another ten or so miles and he slowed, turning into the mall. You climbed off the bike as he put down the kickstand and stretched out your legs and back causing Daryl to chuckle. “Shut up, it’s been a while,” you defended. Daryl raised his hands in surrender and picked up his crossbow, loading a bolt.

Rick and Glenn joined you both as you surveyed the buildings before you. “Drug store is there,” Glenn pointed to a building with thick bars on the windows. “No guarantee anything will be left, but we’re running low and the Doc is gonna need them when it gets colder out.” 

“(Y/N),” Rick said, gaining your attention, “what did you do before the Turn?” Daryl snorted and you smacked his shoulder.

“I was a psychiatrist, specifically for veterans,” you explained. 

“She was a shrink,” Daryl corrected and you responded with a roll of your eyes. 

“You didn’t seem to mind when you stole my prescription pad,” you pointed out. 

“That was Merle, dumbass,” he scoffed as he headed to the car to grab some bags they had taken to fill. 

“So you know meds?” Glenn asked. “We have a few from the Doc to look for, but we don’t take him out of the prison just in case.” Glenn handed you a small list that Caleb, or Doctor S, had written for them.

“I know some of these,” you nodded. “Want me to take the pharmacy?” you asked, jabbing your thumb towards the drug store. 

“Sound good to me,” Glenn agreed. 

“Good,” Daryl said, tossing you a bag. “Let’s go.” You held your tongue about not needing a babysitter and saluted to the other men and followed Daryl. While Rick and Glenn scavenged for clothes and any other food they could find, Daryl broke the lock on the door of the drug store. 

Daryl went in first, his bow up and sweeping the aisles. You followed close by, watching his back. As you turned towards the final aisle in the small store, a Walker reached out and grabbed at Daryl’s boot. He wasted no time in shooting it through the eye.

Retrieving the bolt, he reloaded it and took another look around before nodding to you. “Seems clear, don’t drop yer guard,” he warned. 

“Yes, Sir,” you sassed and pushed past him. You scanned the many shelves, tossing things in your bag as you went. Daryl wasn’t far behind you and every time you looked at him, he quickly glanced away as if he had been staring at you, observing your every movement. 

Ducking into another aisle, you began grabbing up all the rubbing alcohol and bandages you could get, trying to keep out of his gaze. When a Walker, nearly just bones, grabbed your foot from under a collapsed shelf, your boot connected with its skull. The creature dropped immediately and you shook off the brain matter that stuck to the leather. 

“Ya okay?” Daryl asked, coming around the corner. 

“I’m fine, Daryl,” you said, stepping over the corpse and heading for the pharmacy at the back. Daryl wasn’t far behind, his own bag nearly half full already. You hopped up onto the counter and knocked against the metal cage a few times and listened. When nothing came for you, you dropped to the ground and started making your way through the inventory, searching for everything on Doc’s list.

Daryl grabbed up more bandages and even found a new pair of crutches for Herschel if he needed them. You continued through the pharmacy, but when you once again found Daryl watching you, you out down the bottle of pills you had been holding and faced him. “What is it, Daryl?” you asked. 

“Nothin’,” he mumbled, dropping his head. 

“Don’t ‘nothin’ me,” you said, reading him like a book. “What’s wrong? You still pissed I came with you guys?”

“Nah, that’s not it,” he said, looking at you again. You waited. Daryl sighed, hiking up his bow on his shoulder. “Yer too calm,” he said. “Yer whole family is gone and yer actin’ like nothin’ happened.” 

“Not all my family,” you reminded him. Daryl set his jaw. You stepped closer to him. “Daryl, I’m doing everything to keep it together right now,” you told him. “You think it’s easy for me to get up every morning with her face still in my mind? You think that I don’t hear her screams every time I go to bed or see Carter’s blood on my hands every time I kill a Walker? I see them and feel them every damn day, but I don’t have the luxury to wallow and break down. If I sit and cry and don’t keep goin’, I’ll die and then their deaths mean nothing.”

“I know,” he whispered. 

“You know what the last thing Car said to me? He told me to go find my brothers,” you said, taking his hand. “Carter never thought for a moment that you two jackasses died and that is what kept me goin’. That is what is keepin’ me calm.”

“I couldn’t do that,” Daryl admitted, squeezing your hand tighter. 

“But ya have,” you reminded him. “Carl told me about the people you’ve lost. He told me about Sophia.” 

“She wasn’t mine,” Daryl told you. 

“But she was innocent and you cared enough to look for her all that time. She was just a child, too, Daryl.”

“Are ya gonna tell me it wasn’t my fault?” he asked. 

“Nah, you already know it’s not.” You leaned forward and kissed his forehead just as you used to when you were younger. “You reek,” you said, scrunching your nose. 

“Welcome to the end of the world, sweetheart.”

* * *

The two of you, after filling your bags, met up with Glenn and Rick. 

Glenn was on his back in the parking lot, pushing a Walker off of him as Rick stabbed it through the head. He grimaced as Rick helped him up. “Why am I always the one to get tackled?” Glenn asked, picking off pieces of Walker from his shirt. 

“Cause ya never shut up,” Daryl said as you two approached. 

“Hilarious,” Glenn shot back. “How’d you do?” Glenn asked you. 

“Got what we needed,” you confirmed. “You?’ 

“We got enough for now,” Rick said, raising the bag he had with him. “Gonna need to get some fresh meat soon, though,” he said looking at Daryl. You turned to your brother, surprised. 

“You hunt for them?” you asked. Daryl shrugged. 

“Someone has to,” he muttered. You rolled your eyes at his modesty. 

“Well don’t expect me to do any huntin’,” you said starting to load up the duffel bags. “I didn’t get the mountain man gene.”

“I don’t remember ya being this annoyin’,” Daryl said with a small smile. You shoved him lightly. You turned to look at Rick and Glenn. 

“How have ya’ll put up with him for this long?” 

“He’s like a stray dog,” Glenn joked, “Just kind of kept following us until we decided to keep him.”

“Keep laughin’, Rhee,” Daryl said. Glenn grinned at him and Daryl rolled his eyes, climbing onto his bike. Glenn went to get in the car and Rick grabbed the other bag from you. 

“Thank you,” you said quietly to Rick. He looked at you in confusion. 

“For what?” 

“For keepin’ an eye on him. Looks like you’ve gotten pretty close,” You said, looking at Daryl as he checked his bike. Rick placed his hand on your shoulder. 

“He’s saved my ass a few times too. We’re alive because of him,” Rick admitted. You looked up at him and into those blue eyes that had seen some brutal thing and saw the truth. Rick and Daryl had become brothers and it made your heart swell. 

“Thanks,” you whispered and patted his hand before joining Daryl on the back of the bike. “Any chance I can convince you to let me drive?” you asked, peering over his shoulder. Daryl snorted. 

“Sorry, only mountain men get to drive,” he said and you rolled your eyes. 

“Very funny.” 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a filler chapter, but a nice moment between Rick and the Reader!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t remember who exactly gets bit during the flu pandemic thing in the cell blocks so I made it pretty vague. All i really wanted to do here was touch on the friendship that is growing with Rick and (Y/N). The next chapter will have some violence etc since one eyed wonder makes a reappearance.

You jogged down the stairs of the watchtower, passing Tyreese on the way as he headed for his shift. **  
**

You had finally convinced Carl to get some sleep after you kept finding him hiding away in the tower in the middle of the night. He agreed to let you keep watch as long as you taught him to use a bow. You felt that was a fair trade so you had agreed.

You and the younger Grimes had bonded pretty quickly. He reminded you of how Daryl was as a kid. Always running around getting into trouble and making sure everyone was okay. You could tell he was developing a hard exterior but still had that childlike innocence when holding his baby sister or tending to anyone who was hurt. He had a lot of his dad in him and you figured the rest was his late mother and those who were helping to raise him. 

You decided early on that Carl Grimes would be someone you’d lay your life on the line for and not just because he was a kid. But because he was one of the only good ones left in the world. 

Walking back towards the cell block, you ran into Rick. He was coming out of D when he spotted you. He gave you a quick wave as you made your way over to him. “Another late night?” he asked, fatigue weighing on him clear as day. Since the run that you, Daryl, Glenn, and Rick had gone on, you had noticed that he was distancing himself a bit more here and there. When you asked Daryl about Rick’s odd behavior at times, he just shrugged and told you that sometimes the new world screws with people. You decided not to push it further. 

“Just tryin’ to earn my keep,” you said to Rick, stretching out your shoulders. Rick nodded, looking past you towards the main yard. 

“You’ve been staying out late a lot lately,” he said. “Sleep is actually a good thing, you know?” he joked. You chuckled slightly. 

“Yeah, but if sleep won’t come, no point in tryin’ to force it when I can take over for someone who actually needs it,” you pointed out. 

“Like my kid?” 

“He’s not invincible even if he thinks he is,” you said, tilting your head up to look at the night sky. 

“Thanks,” he said. You look back to him. “He doesn’t listen to me much anymore, so it’s good you can get him to get some shut-eye.” You shrugged off his thanks. 

“Boys his age are always rebellin’,” you said, “I doubt that’s gonna change in the Apocalypse.” Rick laughed, running a hand through his messy curls. The two of you started to walk. You didn’t have a particular destination in mind, but you didn’t care. It was nice to just be outside, safe, and having a conversation. You talked about everything from what the two of you did before the Turn to why he decided to use a prison as their new home. 

“It wasn’t easy,” Rick said, “We slept in the main field the first night. Cleared it of Walkers and then dealt with the rest of it the next day.”

“You know what? I’m surprised more people didn’t think to head to a prison in the first place. Or at least an abandoned one,” You said. “Hey, I bet Alcatraz is a hit right now.” Rick laughed at your joke, smiling wide.

“It is on an island,” he pointed out. 

“Exactly. Do you think Walkers can swim?”

“Oh god, I hope not,” Rick said, eyes wide in mock horror. “That’s the last thing we need.” You laugh, trying not to imagine Michael Phelps going full 2000 Olympics while gnashing his jaw. 

“Where did that word even come from? Walker?” you asked, remembering how weird it was to hear that first night in the cell block. 

“I heard it shortly after I woke up in the hospital,” Rick explained, “A man, Morgan, he saved my life and that’s what he called it when he shot it in the street.” 

“Hospital?” you asked, confused. 

“Yeah, I was shot before this all happened,” he said, gesturing around. “I was in a coma and didn’t wake up. My partner tried to get me out, but he had to go save Lori and Carl, make sure they were safe. He thought I died, you know?” 

“I would have thought the same thing,” you said, “you’re a lucky son of a bitch. Must have been terrifying waking up to all of this.” 

“It was…disorienting. I thought I was in Hell. Then when Morgan explained to me what was going on, I couldn’t believe it. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes…” he trailed off. “But then I met Glenn in Atlanta and he brought me back to my family.”

“Crazy how sometimes you just meet the right people at the right time, isn’t it?” you said, looking at him in the dark. He looked at you and smiled softly. 

“Yeah, it is,” he was quiet for a moment before he noticed the ring that was still on your finger. You twisted it around with your thumb absently. “You know, if you ever want to talk about him, I’m here,” he said, gesturing to the ring.

“Thanks,” you said. “It’s funny, I haven’t actually spoken about him since he died. Nobody to talk to and I know that’s why Daryl worries about me. He doesn’t get why I don’t want to talk about them, but I just don’t know what to say. It’s not like I can change anythin’.”

“No, but maybe the more people who know about them, can help keep their memory alive,” Rick offered. You thought about it for a moment before nodding, more to yourself than him. 

“Thanks, Rick,” you said. He reached over and squeezed your shoulder briefly. “And that goes for you too,” you finished. He let out a breath and nodded as well, already understanding what you were offering. “You know, being out here, it reminds me of when Merle was locked up the first time,” you said, changing the subject. 

“The first time?” he asked. 

“Oh, yeah, my big brother was the biggest pain in the ass. Especially when it came to the county sheriff,” you laughed. “The first time, he and Daryl were being idiots as usual. I was at school, I think, and the boys decided to race motorcycles down by the tracks. Merle’s moronic friends were tryin’ to get Daryl to steal a bike nearby. I think it belonged to some kid that was a few years older than Merle. Daryl, of course, wanted to do it so he seemed cool in front of Merle’s asshole ‘friends’, but big brother said no and that he would be the one to do it.” You smiled as you thought about the day you got the call from Daryl who was concerned about the whole thing. “Turns out the owner was actually home and the bike was a lot more expensive than everyone first thought.”

“And let me guess,” Rick interjected, “Merle broke the bike.”

“Along with three bones and a bunch of other property damage and that was before he even got back to the tracks,” you said with an exasperated sigh. “Dad was pissed and since Merle was eighteen, he got charged and booked. I took Daryl to go see him while he did his time. Never liked bein’ near jails. Pretty ironic I’m living in one now.” You laughed quietly to yourself, but then you realized Rick was quiet. You looked at him, trying to see his face in the dark. “What is it? Am I really not that funny?” you tried. Rick cracked a small smile before it disappeared again.

“No, that’s not it,” he said before taking a deep breath. “I guess it’s just weird hearing about your brothers when they were younger.” Rick rubbed the back of his neck before glancing at you. His face was solemn and something was clearly bothering him. “I’m sorry about Merle.” 

“That wasn’t your fault, Rick. Daryl told me what the Governor did,” you told him, but he was shaking his head. 

“No, not about…not about that. I’m sorry about leavin’ him in the first place,” he said, but you were confused. 

“What are you talkin’ about?” 

“Daryl didn’t tell you about what happened in Atlanta?” you shrugged. 

“He said y’all got separated after you ran into a large herd. Daryl said you went back for him, but you couldn’t find him. I’m surprised you even did that, from what Carol and Glenn said, Merle was very…Merle while stayin’ with ya.” Rick nodded, keeping his eyes on the ground. 

“It was my fault,” he said softly, the toe of his boot digging into the gravel.

“What was?” you asked, your voice low as well. Rick finally looked up at you and that weight was even heavier in his eyes. “Rick, what happened?”

“Merle was out of control,” he explained, “he was shootin’ Walkers on the rooftop, the shots bringing more and more towards the building we were in and he was just runnin’ his mouth. Kept mouthin’ off to another guy we were with, using slurs and whatnot.” You sighed at the information. You knew Merle could be a complete asshole, especially if he was using, and based on what Rick was saying, that was definitely the case. “He got into a fight,” Rick continued, “he was gonna get us killed so I handcuffed him to the roof, to one of the pipes. When we went back to get him before we left, one of the men, T-Dog, he dropped the key and…”

“You had to leave him,” you finished. Rick nodded, his hand coming up to rub at his brow. 

“We went back for him, I swear,” he said, his eyes never leaving yours, “but he was gone when we got back up to the roof. He had cut his own arm off to get out of the cuffs. He made his way out of the city and we didn’t see him again until Woodbury. I’m sorry, (Y/N), if I hadn’t of cuffed him to that roof, he may have been alive right now.” 

“Or he would have pissed someone else off and gotten himself shot or gotten too high and stumbled right into a Walker,” you told him. “I loved my brother, with everythin’ I had, but I wasn’t blind to his idiotic tendencies. Daryl either. We both knew how reckless and stupid Merle was. Hell, if I had been on that roof, I may have done the same thing. You were fightin’ to survive, you don’t have to apologize for that.” Rick stared at you in complete awe. 

“How can you be so…okay with all of that?” he asked. You reached out and took his hand, giving it a tight squeeze.

“Because I know you didn’t intend to leave him to die. I can tell you that much. I’m rather good at readin’ people,” you said with a small smile. 

“Because you’re a shrink?” he asked, his shoulders dropping a bit more. 

“Because I pay attention and I know who’s good and who’s not and you Rick Grimes, are one of the good ones,” you said. “So, don’t apologize. At least not to me. You have to start thinkin’ about what’s next.”

“And what is next, (Y/N)?” he asked. 

“I haven’t quite figured that out,” you said, letting go of his hand, “but when I do, I will make sure to tell ya. Deal?” He nodded. 

“Sounds good to me, Dixon,” he said with a smile. You smiled back and before you said anything else, a scream echoed from the cell blocks. You and Rick looked at each other before taking off towards the block. Rick pulled his gun as he ran and you cursed yourself for only bringing your knife with you. You pulled it from your belt as your boots pounded against the ground. 

You both reached the block just as a Walker stumbled out of a cell, it’s face covered in fresh blood. Two more followed, reaching for your friends as they fought them off. Stabbing the closest one in the head, Rick shot the others that reached for a scared woman. 

It was chaos in the prison as people screamed and the Dead rose. The noise only agitated the others that pressed against the fences outside. In the dark, you split off from Rick, searching frantically for your brother. You didn’t know if he was on watch or if he had gone off on his own. You were just praying that when you found him, he would still be breathing. 

You ran through the corridors, looking for Daryl. The gunshots from the block had finally calmed down, but you could feel the fear in the air. Your mind raced as you tried to think of ways that the Walkers could have gotten into the block. You and Michonne had just checked the tombs that morning, securing the entrances. Then there was the fact that the individual blocks were always locked just in case. 

Gripping your knife, you ran back down the hallway and pushed through the metal door, exiting into the night air. Suddenly, something grabbed your arm and you raised your blade, ready to drive it home. “(Y/N)! Stop, it’s me!” your arm froze as you focused on Daryl. He was breathing heavily as he looked at you. You relaxed, pulling him into a hug. He hugged you back, squeezing you tight. 

“You okay?” you asked as you stepped back, checking his exposed skin for bites. 

“M’fine, you?” 

“Yeah, just a bit out of breath,” you said. “What happened?” 

“Looks like some kid got sick, died in his sleep. He turned and bit others.” 

“Our own people were the Walkers?” you asked, sheathing your knife. 

“Ya,” he said with a frown. 

“Shit, that’s rough,” you said. Daryl nodded in agreement, before grabbing your arm. “What are you doin?” you asked as he dragged you toward the administration building. “Daryl?”

“How do ya feel? Ya feel sick?” 

“No, I feel fine. Where are we goin’?” 

“Whatever is goin’ on, I’m not lettin’ you get it,” he said as he pushed into the building. Carl was already there, holding his baby sister. 

“So you’re taking me to an abandoned hallway?” you asked, confused. 

“We need meds,” he said. “Till we get em’, yer stayin’ in here,” he said, finally letting you go.

“You’re puttin’ me in quarantine?” you asked, your brows going high. 

“Damn right I am,” he said, handing you his spare gun. “Ya never had a good immune system to begin with. I ain’t takin’ any chances.”

“Daryl‒”

“Nah,” he interjected, “yer gonna listen to me for once, (Y/N). Don’t try to play big sister right now. Just do this one thing for me and stay here, alright?” You wanted to argue, but then he said something that made you shut up. “I can’t lose you like I lost Merle.” You sighed and nodded. 

“Okay, Daryl,” you said, moving the loose strands of hair from his face. “I’ll stay with Carl,” you promised. “Just come back in one piece,” you said, already knowing he would be one of the first to volunteer to go look for the meds they needed. Daryl nodded and kissed your forehead. He then turned to Carl. 

“Watch out for my sister, kid,” Daryl said. Carl nodded, standing up a bit straighter at Daryl’s words. He squeezed your arm once more before leaving the building and locking it behind him. 

“Guess it’s just you and me, Grimes one and two,” you said, sliding down against the wall. You sat, letting your legs stretch out in front of you. Carl joined you a second later, carefully resting Judith in his lap. 

“Shouldn’t it be Grimes two and three?” he asked.

“Nah, you two are definitely the top two Grimes in my book,” you said with a small smile. Carl smiled up at you before playing with his sister’s little hands. “Don’t worry about her,” you said, easily reading his expression, “she’s a lot stronger than she looks. She’s gonna be fine.”

“How do you know?” Carl asked, his voice a bit smaller than usual. 

“Didn’t Daryl tell you?” you asked, gaining his attention, “I’m psychic,” you whispered. Carl rolled his eyes but laughed nonetheless. 

“Maybe psycho, but not psychic,” Carl joked. You placed your hand on your chest in surprise. 

“Wow, Grimes, never thought you’d be so cruel. I don’t know how our friendship can survive this.” Carl snorted at your words. 

“Didn’t realize we were friends,” he said, still smiling. 

“And I didn’t realize your daddy never taught you to be nice to people who teach you valuable skills,” you said, nudging his foot with yours. 

“I’ll work on it,” he said just as Judith yawns. 

“I agree with her,” you said, leaning back and closing your eyes. “Judith has the right idea.” You then felt Carl shift next to you, leaning into you and putting his head on your shoulder as Judith lay across both of your legs. You didn’t open your eyes as you sat with the Grimes children. Your lack of sleep lost the battle with your worries about Daryl and the sickness that had come to the prison and soon the three of you were sleeping peacefully. 

At the end of the hallway, Rick peered in through the window and watched as you held onto his kids, protecting them and offering them security. He wasn’t the best at trusting people in this new world, but he liked you and liked your spirit. It was easy to be your friend and he loved how easily you and Carl bonded. He only hoped that you would be around for them and Daryl. 

However, unbeknownst to him, things were going to get much worse and very soon and it wasn’t just a virus that crept up on the prison, but an enemy that lay in wait.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fall of the prison has you separated from your brother and Rick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aye, so this is it. I may continue this at some point in time, but I figured this would be a good place to end it. Thank you all for liking this story so much!
> 
> Description of violence, swearing, attempted sexual assault on a minor (Carl scene from claimers scene in show)

_**The fall of the prison.** _

The only thing you could feel was the heat. 

The ringing in your ears was making everything difficult to focus on. The smell of burning flesh and hot metal penetrated the air as you sat up. Wiping the soot from your eyes, you looked down to see blood covering your boots and jeans. 

Then, everything started to come back. 

The Governor, the Walkers, the fences coming down.

Everything had gone to shit in a matter of minutes. When the first blast had gone off you had been on the other side of the prison raiding more storage closets. By the time you got back, it was just in time to hear Maggie and Beth scream and Rick fire on the one-eyed man who had just killed Herschel. 

You frantically searched for Daryl, but then the second grenade had gone off and the tank had breached the gates. It was all chaos. Gunfire everywhere, insurgents breaching the walls of the prison, and the Dead converging on your home. 

The prison had finally started to feel like a safe place for you to hold up in. You were getting closer to Daryl again and after that first run, you and Glenn had become fast friends. Then there was Rick. After the conversation you the night of the sickness, you couldn’t seem to keep away from him. Any time you walked into a room, you looked for him and you even caught him watching you. Carl had become a shadow and one that you were willing to keep for as long as possible.

The Grimes family had become your people as well as the other prison inhabitants. Daryl was no longer the only person you worried about when things went bad. Rick Grimes had officially taken the second spot. Though you never voiced your interest, you weren’t exactly subtle about it. Maggie had told you about Lori and while Rick looked to be doing better, you weren’t sure making a move on the leader would be a good idea then or at any time. Still, he, Daryl, Carl, and Glenn were all you could think of right now as you pushed yourself off the ground.

Pieces of charred Walker were scattered around you. Pain erupted behind your eyes and as your hand slipped into your hair, blood was smeared on your fingers. Looking around, you realized you had been thrown into a pile of debris. Cuts adorned your arms and legs and everything hurt. 

Looking to your left, you saw your bow not far from where you had been lying among the carnage. You picked it up along with a pistol hidden under the rubble and picked your way through the courtyard. Walkers milled everywhere and there was no sign of your family. 

Bodies lay near the main cell block and you couldn’t bring yourself to look at them closely. Daryl had to be alive. He was too smart to stick around and too stubborn to die. You kept repeating that to yourself as you moved through the prison, taking out the Walkers that charged you.

As you moved, it all started to feel like before. The loneliness, the uncertainty of this new world all crept back upon you and all you wanted to do was scream. But Daryl was out there, he had to be. You had to find him and you weren’t going to stop until you did. You weren’t losing him again, not after everything you went through to find him. 

You pushed on, exiting the prison and into the woods. You had a lot of Daryl’s spirit, that was true. You could hunt and you could track decently and it would be a cold day in hell when you gave up looking for him. However, it was everything that you learned from your big brother that kept the rage simmering in your chest. You figured you would have your moment to unleash it, you just had to find the right time.

You picked a direction and headed off in hopes of picking up a trail and shouldered your bow. It was going to be a long night, but nothing was going to keep you from finding them.

* * *

**_4 days later_ **

Daryl and Beth moved through the world, trying to keep focused. 

What had happened at the funeral home was a close call and Daryl had nearly lost it when Beth was almost taken. The car with the white cross had driven off, but Daryl swore that if he ever saw them again they would be dead before they could raise a gun at him. Nobody was going to take her away from him. They would have to kill him twice. 

“Which way now?” Beth asked, trying to keep up with him. 

“I don’t know,” he sighed, taking a swig of water and handing it to her. “I don’t even know where we are.”

“Where would Rick go?” Beth asked, handing back the canteen. Daryl looked over at her in confusion. “You know him better than I do.” 

“If he made it,” Daryl said, “he’d go North.”

“How do you know?” Beth asked, matching his pace now. 

“Cause it’s what I’d do,” he said quietly. Beth reached over and took his hand and he let her. She knew he was missing you and that he was worried you didn’t make it. Beth was trying to comfort him while also dealing with her own loss. She didn’t know where her sister was either and after just losing her father, all Beth wanted was Maggie and Glenn. Daryl wasn’t going to stop until Greene got to them and she promised him the same with you. 

“We should’ve gone back for her,” he said, tightening his grip on Beth’s hand. 

“She’s out there,” said Beth, “she’s too stubborn to die.” Daryl bumped Beth’s shoulder and she laughed slightly. “It’s gonna be okay, Daryl. They’re survivors.”

“So are you,” he said, looking at her closely. She smiled softly at him, leaning her head on his shoulder briefly before tugging him along.

They walked for what seemed hours. The Georgia sun beat down on them and they knew they would need to find a place to hold up for the night, some water too. There was no point in trying to find Rick, you, and the others if they could barely stay on their feet.

After letting Beth rest her ankle for a moment, Daryl grabbed her bag and they headed back through the woods, trying to find a road sign of some sorts to gain perspective of where they were. Daryl and Beth exited onto the road, dragging their feet when a group of men suddenly surrounded them. 

“Well, well, well, who do we have here?” The man Daryl instantly picked as the leader, zeroed in on Beth. “Who’s gonna claim her?”

* * *

You were tired and you were starving. 

Turns out that your tracking abilities were decent, but your hunting wasn’t exactly up to Dixon code. You had only managed to catch a few squirrels and that definitely wasn’t enough. You had picked up a few trails here and there, but they turned up dead ends or just Dead. 

On the second day of looking, you had come across a house that looked as if someone had been there recently. It also looked as if there had been a struggle. The room upstairs was filled with kid stuff and you figured it would be a place that the young Grimes would like very much. That’s when you found the Walker dead in the bathroom and figured the house wasn’t the safest place. 

You continued on your way when you spotted footprints not far from the house. Sunken into the mud, you recognized clear prints of cowboy boots. Rick’s boots. It was a long shot that they were his, but you had to try. Knowing your brother, he would be looking for Rick as well. It was the best lead that you had had in days and you headed in the direction.

You followed the trail as best you could. Two other sets of footprints were next to the boots as far as they walked before moving into the woods and onto the tracks. One set was smaller and you recognized them as a child’s. Carl, you decided, which put your mind at ease. However, the other set could be anyone, but they weren’t big enough to be Daryl’s. You thought perhaps they were Maggie’s or Sasha’s, but you didn’t know who had made it out of the prison and that weight was starting to press down on you.

You walked well into the night. The tracks were at least a day old or so. You had a vague idea of the direction they were moving in, but you couldn’t be sure. You stuck to the railroad tracks, trying to keep heading North. It was the rational thing to do. The prison was behind you and if you knew Rick, Daryl, and the others, they wouldn’t go back, they would keep going forward. You also knew that they would be doing anything they could to outrun the herd that had pushed into the prison. 

The tracks hid all evidence of people and the prints you could find were scattered and dragged. Walkers, you figured. You kept your hand on your gun as you marched North. You were running low on food and all you wanted was to climb a tree and get some rest. However, you knew that if Rick and the others were already a day or so ahead of you, you couldn’t slow down. 

You could hear Merle’s voice in your head. As kids, he would always be telling you to get your ass in gear. That there was no time to rest when the world kept on going whether you decided to get up or not. It was something you constantly thought about as you fought in the new world and right now, you only hoped that your younger brother had Merle screaming in his ear too. 

By the time you had walked until your feet felt as if they were going to fall off, you smelled a fire burning. You jogged down into the woods, heading towards the smell of the campfire. Walkers tracked you among the trees, but they fell at your feet as you cut them down. You didn’t stop moving, keeping your knees bent and your feet quiet. If this wasn’t who you thought it was then it would be an even bigger problem and that was the last thing you needed. 

Creeping up to the tree line, you could see two people sitting on a log, their backs to you. When you looked closer, you nearly sobbed as you saw Michonne with her katana by her side and Rick Grimes with his curly hair and stubbled chin lit by the fire. Looking to your left you saw an even more beautiful sight. Carl was alive and sitting in the car by the fire, resting. 

A massive weight was lifted off your chest, but just before you could approach them, footsteps reached your ears. You acted fast. You slipped up the closest tree you could find, hiding among the branches, trying to keep out of sight. From your vantage point, you could see the scene slowly unfolding before you. 

Five men came out of the shadows. You watched in horror as the one with the gray hair and beard, pressed a pistol to Rick’s head. Another, aimed at Michonne, while a third taunted Carl. Your hand slipped to your gun as the man knocked on the window of the car as Carl shrunk away from him. Every one of your maternal instincts was kicking in and all you wanted to do was tear that man apart for even looking at Carl Grimes. 

The man who held the gun to Rick was telling him about something he believed Grimes had done. When he mentioned the house and the Walker in the bathroom, you realized you had been right. Rick, Carl, and Michonne had been the people who had left the house in a hurry.

Rick was struggling against the man and Michonne was staring down the man who held her at gunpoint with a venomous glare. It was a tight situation and while you were a good shot, there was no way you could take out all five before they began taking out Rick and Michonne. You took out your weapon and aimed it at the one who watched Carl, ready to save the boy above everyone else, but movement behind the car made you pause. 

“Joe!” A voice called and your gun went limp in your hand and you breathed a sigh of relief as Daryl stepped into the group of men. Beth was right behind him. The younger Greene sister was limping slightly and she looked as if she had been through hell. You also noticed she wore Daryl’s leather vest and that she was sticking close to him. Closer than usual. 

You listened as Daryl and the man named Joe talked. Joe explained to Daryl that Rick had been the one to kill their friend, but Daryl didn’t seem to be listening. “You’re gonna let these people go,” Daryl said. “They’re good people.”

“What is with you, Daryl?” Joe asked. “Isn’t it enough we let you keep the blonde? Hell, I know every man here wanted to claim her.” Joe leered at Beth who took another step behind Daryl. Her eyes flickered to the car and looked at a scared Carl. 

“I meant what I said, Joe,” Daryl said, his voice low, “You touch her and I’ll kill ya. Rick’s a good man. Ya want blood, ya take it from me.” Joe shook his head. 

“See, that right there is a lie, Daryl. He is not a good man and it seems neither are you. Take em’.” Daryl was instantly tackled by the other two men. Beth scrambled out of the way, tripping on her already bad ankle. She went down hard, grappling for a weapon when one of the men who beat on Daryl, kicked out at her, knocking her down once again. 

The man at the car grabbed a struggling Carl from the car as the kid yelled. “You leave him be!” Rick yelled, trying to get to his son, but Joe kept him back, threatening to beat Daryl to death, have his way with Michonne and Beth, and then Carl. He finished by promising to kill Rick. You watched the whole ordeal, your mind running a mile a minute. When Carl was shoved to the ground, all you could see was Hannah. Her cries echoed in your mind as you fought to stay calm. 

Another voice took over then, one you were becoming familiar with. _“Don’t just sit there, girl. Fuckin’ do something.”_ Merle’s words screamed in your skull and you snapped out of it. A calmness flew through your blood, making everything move in slow motion. As soon as one of Daryl’s assailants went for Beth again, you dropped to the forest floor. 

Your boots made noise as you stepped onto the road. Everyone stilled as you came into the light. Carl was the first to recognize you.

“(Y/N)!” he cried out, fighting his attacker. Each of the men held onto their victims, guns pressed to their heads. You looked at Michonne who was looking at Carl. Daryl stared at you in shock and relief. As did Beth. Rick, however, was looking at you with something you could only describe as anticipation. As if he was waiting for you to give him his opening and that was exactly your plan. 

“Well, looky here, boys!” Joe said, turning to look at you. A disturbing grin spread across his face. “I was lookin’ for somethin’ to entertain me after all this and here you are.” The other men went to speak, but Joe beat them to it. “Claimed!” he hollered. 

“No!” Daryl shouted, trying to get out of the clutches of his captor. “Don’t you touch her!” Joe ignored Daryl and so did you as you turned on your charm. You splayed your hands out, showing you were unarmed. 

“Woah there big guy,” you said to Joe, checking him out from head to toe. You then frowned slightly. “Well, maybe not _that_ big,” you said with a smirk, lowering your eyes. “Ya know that sayin’, ‘is that a gun in your pants or are ya just happy to see me’? Well, I think that there just may be a pocket knife if ya get me.” Joe’s grin turned to a sneer as he watched you. He pressed the gun to Rick’s temple even harder. 

“Friend of yours, Dixon?” Joe asked through gritted teeth. 

“I wouldn’t piss her off,” Rick growled, staring right at you, his blue eyes never leaving yours. 

“Here’s what’s gonna happen, prick,” you continued, “You’re gonna let them go or I’ll kill ya.”

“Is that so?” Joe asked. You smiled at him, the same smile you had given to the first man who tried to tie you up all those months on the run. 

“That’s right,” you told him. “I’ll do it slowly, take my time. You see, my fiance was an army medic and he taught me a few things. Especially the places where a human bleeds the easiest. That much blood is potent to animals.” You smiled wider. “Imagine how good it must smell to the Walkers.” You couldn’t help the dreamy look on your face as you imagine the five men who held your family down and how they would look being torn to shreds by the Dead. 

“You’re a crazy bitch,” Joe said. 

“So that’s a no, then?” you asked and then shrugged. “Fine.” You pulled your gun that you had hidden in your waistband and turned, firing on the man who had Beth. The bullet went straight through his skull and he dropped before he could even lift his weapon.

Michonne took the chance of surprise and grabbed hold of the man’s gun who held her hostage. She twisted his wrist and went for his weapon. He punched her in the face, taking her down again.

The man holding Daryl kicked your brother down to the ground and fired at you. You moved just in time to avoid a head shot, but the bullet hit your shoulder, tearing through your flesh. You went down, grabbing at your arm. Daryl and Rick roar in anger as they attacked their own enemies. As Daryl struggled to get to his feet, Beth crawled to you, placing pressure on the gunshot wound. 

“You’re gonna be fine,” she said. You watched as Joe picked up Rick, taunting him and laughing in his face.

“What are you gonna do now, sport?” Joe asked, shaking Rick. Your eyes widened as you watched what Grimes did next. Rick reeled back and then sunk his teeth into Joe’s neck. A sickening sound came as Rick tore out Joe’s jugular. Blood sprayed from Joe’s neck and as Rick spat out a chunk of flesh and a mouthful of blood, Michonne reacted. 

She went for her attacker again, this time, using the shock as an opportunity. Michonne managed to get the gun and twisted it, firing a bullet into the man’s skull. She then turned the gun onto the man who had Daryl on the ground. She shot him immediately and then turned the gun on the man who now held Carl with a knife at the kid’s throat. 

“Drop it!” you yelled, trying to get to your feet. 

“Let the boy go!” Michonne demanded as Carl tried to claw at the arms that held him. 

“He’s mine,” you heard Rick say as he took the knife of Joe and approached the man who tried to hurt his child. Nobody said anything as the man dropped Carl and tried to surrender. Carl ran to Michonne who held him close to her chest as his father gutted the final man. Beth turned her head, hiding her face in your hair as Rick repeatedly stabbed the man. Michonne kept Carl with her and Daryl and you watched Rick slowly start to lose himself in the kill. 

Eventually, the stabbing stopped and the blood settled. Rick sat there, slumped over his final victim, blood dripping from his jaw. Looking at him like this, you knew that if you had come across him as a stranger, you would have thought he was a Walker finishing up his meal. 

Everyone started to move then. Michonne pulled Carl into the car, trying to keep him calm and as soon as Beth checked in with you and Daryl, she followed them, leaving you, Rick, and Daryl alone. Daryl reached you first. He fell to his knees next to you just as he had the night you had found each other. You didn’t say anything as you wrapped your good arm around him and felt him fall into you. You held onto your brother for what felt like hours before he pulled back. 

“Ya good?” he asked, examining your wound. 

“What’s a little gunshot?” you asked, trying to smile. 

“Ya leave my sight again,” Daryl said, “and I’ll kill ya.” 

“Fair enough,” you agreed. Daryl offered you his hand and he pulled you to your feet. Both of you approached Rick who still hadn’t moved. Without speaking, you both took of one Rick’s arms and pulled him up. He let you take him to the side of the car and sit him down. You and your brother crouched in front of him, trying to get Rick to look at you. Eventually, he lifted his head and looked at you. He slowly smiled, his teeth stained with blood. 

“What’s so funny, cowboy?” you asked, gently. 

“I see it now,” he said. 

“See what?” you asked, confused. Rick looked at Daryl for a moment before turning back to you. 

“I see the Merle side.”

* * *

The three of you sat there against the car as the sun came up.

Daryl had convinced Rick to clean himself up for Carl’s sake and so with your help, you managed to get most of the blood off his face. Once Daryl bandaged up your wound, you excused yourself and headed to the other side of the car to check on the others. Carl was awake now, helping Michonne clean out a cut on her palm. You slid the door open and leaned against the side of the car. “How we doin’ in here?” you asked. 

“Few minor cuts and bruises, we’ll be alright,” Michonne assured you. You nodded and then she extended a hand to you. You weren’t the closest to her, but you figured that may change now. You took her hand and squeezed it tight. Beth then moved past you, no doubt going to check on Daryl, and you slid into her seat. Carl moved closer to you and then he was wrapping his arms around you, holding on tight. 

You relaxed in his grip, finally letting yourself realize that he was okay. Carl was safe and nobody could hurt him anymore. “Thank you,” he whispered in your ear and you nodded, fighting the tears that threatened to flow. When Carl let you go and settled back down next to Michonne, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small charm. It was in the shape of an “H”. He handed it to you. “I found it in a house. Thought you might like it.” 

You stared at the small charm that held your daughter’s initial and this time the tears did come. You weren’t ashamed of them anymore. You didn’t want to hide the fact that she was gone. From your own pocket, you pulled out something you hadn’t shown anyone yet. Carter’s dog tags. You fastened the charm to the chain and then slipped it over your head, keeping both of them close to your heart. “Thank you, Carl,” you said through your tears. 

* * *

When you went to check on the others, you realized Beth and Daryl were gone. 

Rick looked up as you came into his view. “Where’d they go?” you asked, suddenly concerned.

“Beth had blood on her and Daryl took her to a stream just through there to help her scrub it off,” Rick explained, pointing through the trees. You relaxed and joined Rick back on the ground. Your shoulders were pressed together as you watched the sun shine through the thick threes. 

“Are you okay?” you asked him. He hung his head for a moment before nodding.

“I will be,” he said. “You?” 

“I am now,” you admitted. “You know I’ve been lookin’ for you, Grimes?” 

“What about Daryl?” he asked, raising a brow. You shrugged. 

“Found your trail first and I figured Daryl would be lookin’ for his brother as well,” you said, acknowledging that you heard part of their conversation from just a few moments ago. Rick nodded. 

“Thank you for saving us. Especially my boy,” he said, reaching over and taking your hand. 

“You saved me first,” you said. 

“I don’t think pointing a gun at you would be considered savin’,” he reminded you. You laughed slightly. 

“Maybe not, but because you kept everyone safe and you got them to the prison, I found my brother,” you said. “I found my family.” 

“Does that just include your brother?” Rick asked. You looked at him and into those beautiful blue eyes. 

“No, it doesn’t,” you whispered. Rick sighed and then leaned his forehead against yours. The two of you stayed like that for a moment before you shifted and rested your head on his shoulder, your hand never leaving his. “We’re gonna be okay, Grimes. Whatever comes next, we’ll be ready.”

“What does come next, (Y/N)?” he asked and you looked over as Daryl and Beth came back towards you. Beth still wore Daryl’s vest and he kept a protective hand on her lower back. You could hear Michonne and Carl speaking softly behind you and you relished in the sound of Rick’s breathing beside you. Looking up at him, you finally felt calm and you smiled thinking about the last time he had asked you what was next back at the prison. However, this time you had an answer. 

“It’s simple, Rick, we find the rest of our family.”


End file.
